Warrior Lost
by redroosterdawn
Summary: Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac’s wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.
1. Chapter 1

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

Part one The engagement party

Friday

11 May 2001

Admiral's home

It was one week ago that the Admiral had asked her about the Colonel's engagement party. He thought he had missed it. He hadn't heard anything about the party. Surely his staff would have been talking about it in the office if there had been one.

Harriet smiled when she had told him that there hadn't been an engagement party for the Colonel yet. It was usually the Matron of Honor's duty to host the party for the bride. She had told the Admiral that her place was too small.

He had said something about his place. He hadn't realized that he was volunteering to host the engagement party. She had thanked him before he had the chance to say no. It was better this way. The cost would be minimal.

Besides he had a beautiful place outside the city. It would be relaxing for everyone. It would also give some of the newer people in the office an opportunity to see how the Admiral lived.

The Admiral enlisted Jason to help him plan the party. He did a good job. They had everything arranged and ready to go a few days before the party. Everything looked perfect. The food was catered from one of the Colonel's favorite places to eat.

Bud and Harriet were the first ones to arrive. Everyone always blamed Bud for their early arrival, but it was usually her fault. It gave her more time to brown nose the Admiral and to hobnob with everyone before the crowd got too large.

Besides she didn't want to stay out too late. They had a young babysitter they like and it was better if they got her home at a reasonable hour before it got too late.

Most of the people were there when Mac and Mic arrived. Mac wanted to look good for this important date. She wanted everyone to see how happy she was. It took her longer than usual, but it was Mic who caused them to be late.

He had stopped somewhere had a few beers earlier in the day before he got home. He wasn't in any condition to find what he was looking for. He was a half hour late picking up Mac. She was a little upset with him when she smelt beer on his breath.

She wondered why he couldn't wait until the party before he started drinking. It looked like she would be the one doing the driving tonight. She was not going to let him have the keys to her corvette.

Harm was running late as usual. He had been waiting for Renee, but she was late filming a commercial. When she finally called to tell him she was running late, there wasn't much he could do. He would have to meet her at the Admiral's house.

He wondered why he was going in the first place. Mac was going to marry another man not him. He never thought it would have ever gotten this far. He always thought that Mac would eventually see the futility of being with Bugme and kick him to the curb.

At the very least he figured that Bugme would screw up somehow. If that had happen Mac hadn't said anything about it or just shrugged it off. Then again Mac seemed to have changed over the last year. She didn't seem to be herself.

Gone was the fiery marine that he knew and loved so much. She didn't seem to be as strong a person anymore. There was no fight or spirit in her. Well most of the time. She still fought a good fight in court, but she had changed.

He still had time to turn around, but then he would be admitting defeat, especially to Bugme. How he hated the blimey bastard. Why couldn't he have stayed down under n a far away place? Why did he have to come back here?

But then again it was all his fault. She had asked him when it was going to be their turn to be together. Why had he said not yet? What was he afraid of? She was the most beautiful and wonderful person in the world. He loved her.

He never knew anyone who was as special as she was. He did want to spend the rest of his life with her. Why then did he say he wasn't ready to be with her? Why then did he start dating the video princess?

He didn't really like her, at least not in that way. She was fun to hang out with. She didn't have the baggage that Mac did. But she wasn't Mac. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't feel that way about her. She wasn't Mac.

He had been there a half hour when he went outside onto the porch to wait for Renee. He couldn't take watching Mic standing by Mac making nice with all his friends and the Admiral. He was surprised that she followed him out onto the porch.

"Why are you out here Harm? The party is inside." asked a concerned Sarah.

"I'm waiting for Renee. She's running a little late and has never been here before." sighed Harm wondering why Mac was out here bothering him.

"Do you mind if I wait here with you?" asked Sarah.

"The party is for you Mac. Don't you think you should be in there with everyone." replied Harm.

"They won't miss me if I'm gone for a few minutes. Besides Harm, I see most of them everyday. I need a break from some of them." smiled Sarah. She was referring to Harriet.

"So what's the real reason why you're out here?" she asked.

"What? I guess I don't really like being in the same room as Bugme." replied Harm.

"You know Harm, this party could have been for us. I did asked you about getting together in a relationship. I did asked you when it was going to be our time. It could have been us getting married at the academy chapel in two weeks, but you decided not to give me an answer." informed Sarah.

"You kind of surprised me that night Mac. The last thing I was expecting to hear from you was you asking me about being together. I was caught up in the court case at the time.

Our relationship wasn't exactly great after I returned from the fleet. You gave me the cold shoulder for awhile. I thought you were angry with me." replied Harm.

"That's because you called Jordan about getting back together with her. After my visited to the Patrick Henry I thought we had something special between us again. There wasn't anyone else in our lives for once." explained Sarah.

"I was happy to see you again Mac. You were a major part of my life for three years. I had missed you. But that night on the ferry I was confused. I needed some time to comprehend what it was that you wanted from me. I thought you would have given me more than fifteen minutes." Harm tried to explain.

"Do you know what I wanted that night?" asked Sarah.

"Something that I wasn't ready to give you. I wasn't ready to have the kind of relationship you wanted. You wanted to get married and have a family. I still had thoughts about flying and my father leaving a wife and child behind." explained Harm.

"Then you went to dinner with Bugme because you were mad at me and came back with his ring on your finger. Why? You made it perfectly clear to me that you weren't going to give me the time to think about us."

"I wasn't mad at you Harm and I had no intentions of accepting his ring. I might have been a little disappointed that you didn't want to be with me, but I wasn't mad.

I was just having dinner with a friend who I thought I would never see again to say goodbye. It's all your fault anyways. You're the one who left JAG for your own personal gratification.

You're the one who left me behind to deal with his advances and work with. Harm, you of all people knew how persistent he can be. He wasn't going to let me leave the restaurant that night until he had his ring on my hand.

I let him put it on my right hand to let you know that I wasn't committed to him, but I also wanted you to know that if you didn't want me, there were others that did. It's been sixteen months Harm." replied Sarah.

"I don't know what happened to you Mac. You would have never let Dalton do that to you. You would have thrown him to the curb. You've let him walk all over you. When he put his ring on you, it was if he was marking his territory." argued Harm.

"Maybe that's true, but since when did you let Mic have whatever he wanted. You always took great pleasure in beating him. When did you decide not to fight for what you wanted? Why wasn't I worth fighting for?

I think I proved myself to you when I went with you to Russia to find your father. Then you punished me for not telling you that I had been married to Chris. I'm surprised that you never asked me if I was or had been married or was it that you didn't want to know?

Maybe I should have told you about him, but maybe it was my way of not allowing myself to get too emotionally involved with you until you were ready to be with me. But I want you to consider one thing Harm, I had been faithful to you. I hadn't seen anyone since Dalton.

And the only reason I was seeing him in the first place was because you were involved with Annie. I had to let that run its course first. But then you decided to punish me and be with Jordan rather than being with me.

Even she knew you wanted to be with me and not her. She told me that several times, but she enjoyed being with you. Even when she couldn't accept you for who you were, you still chose her over me.

Even when I told you that I wanted you, you punished me. You told me you weren't ready and then you ran to Renee when you got back. You've been with her ever since Harm. So you were either lying to me or you didn't want me." challenged Mac.

"Do you love him Mac?" asked Harm. Why was she here telling him all this now? Couldn't they have had this discussion a few months ago?

"You don't get to ask that question Harm. You had four months before Mic showed up that night. Even then I showed you how uncomfortable I was with him, but you didn't do anything.

You had another five months before I moved the ring over. You knew I didn't want to be engaged to him, but you didn't care. You were more concerned with a half brother you barely knew than me. You've had seven months since I move the ring over to ask me.

You knew I wanted you, but you didn't even fight for me. You chose Renee, someone you didn't even like over me. How do you think I felt about that?" cried Mac.

"I was confused Mac. I didn't know what to think. I thought you had made your choice to be with him, so I moved on the best I could. I'm sorry." replied Harm. He knew it was a feeble excuse, but he didn't have a better answer for her.

"You're right, it's not my place to ask you. Just know that if you ever need me I will be there for you."

I did need you Harm. I asked you to be with me, but you decided not to be with me. I don't know if I can ever depend on you again thought Mac, but before she could say anything else Renee walked up to the porch.

She was surprised to see them sitting there alone on the porch talking with each other. Why wasn't she inside with Mic? That was where she belonged. Marry Mic and move with him to Australia. It was the only way she was going to have Harm to herself.

"Did I miss the party?" she asked them.

"No, I was just waiting for you outside." he replied.

"I needed some fresh air. I don't like being the center of attention." added Mac.

Later that night Mac went out onto the porch to get some fresh air. It was getting stuffy inside and Mic had been drinking too much. She wanted to be by herself for a short while. She was surprised to see Harm outside on the porch smoking a cigar.

"I thought you gave up that nasty habit." smiled Mac in greeting. She wondered what was wrong. He was sitting out here all by his self.

"I only smoke them on special occasions. I guess this would be one of them." he replied. As much as he hated why they were there, he would never hate being with her in any fashion.

"What's wrong Harm? Why are you out here by yourself?" asked Mac.

"You want to take a walk? There's a path that leads to a small pond we could take." asked Harm avoiding the question.

"Sure, why not." she replied taking his arm.

They walked silently together until they were at the pond. The moon was full in the sky shining brightly. Mac could see the sadness in his eyes.

"There's a widow's moon out tonight." said Harm breaking the silence.

"I thought this was a full moon. At least that's what the weatherman said in his report." questioned Mac.

"More planes were shot down in Vietnam on nights like this. The sky is so bright that enemy soldiers could see the planes coming and shoot them down. My dad was shot down on a night like this." replied Harm.

"And I'm sure the pilots hit more of their targets too. Harm, why are you thinking about your father? I thought you had put him to rest." asked Mac. What was wrong?

"I wasn't Mac, it was just an observation." replied Harm."Harm, what's wrong?" asked Mac with concern."I'm losing you Mac and I don't know what I can do about it." sighed Harm."I'm not going anywhere Harm, well except for a honeymoon, but I'll still be here at JAG." replied Mac as she tried to reassure him.

"We hardly work together anymore Mac. You know Mic won't want you working with me. Working with you was what made coming back here bearable after the CAG strongly suggested that I leave the fleet.

How long do you really think Brumby is going to want to stay here Mac? He couldn't find a job in a city that can't get enough lawyers. He's a career Navy man Mac. Sooner or later he's going to want to go back.

He's going to expect you to go with him even if that means giving up your career. He's not going to ask you either. Then you will be gone. I doubt he'll wait a year." complained Harm.

"Harm, I'm not going anywhere. I told him from the beginning this is my home. It's where all my friends are. If he did decide to go, he would go alone." reassured Mac."You look very beautiful tonight Sarah." complimented Harm as he gazed into her eyes as he leaned down to kiss her.

She was surprised by his actions, but she offered no resistance. In fact she relished the moment. It wasn't often that they shared a kiss. His kisses were perfect in her estimation unlike Mic's which were sloppy as well as aggressive.

They kissed for a few minutes before stopping. "We better get back before we're missed." sighed Mac."I'll always be here for you Sarah if you should ever need me." replied Harm before escorting her back to the house.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

Part two

Wednesday

23 May 2001

Headquarters

It was a glorious day. He was leaving the stuffy confines of JAG and flying out to the Patrick Henry for two days of flying tomcats. He would be reunited with his RIO Elizabeth 'Skates' Hawkes.

There was nothing he enjoyed doing more than flying. He wouldn't have to think about anything for two days. He wouldn't have to think about Mac marrying the blimey dingo or listen to Renee whine about when they were going to get married.

That day was never going to happen. With Mac getting married there was no reason for him to be with Renee anymore. She wanted more from him than he was able to give. He would tell her that it was over after the wedding. It would give him a good excuse to leave the reception early.

"Where are you going Harm?" asked Mac. She noticed that Harm was cutting out early for the day. He also had a small duffle bag with him that he took whenever he was going out to a carrier.

"I'm flying out to the Patrick Henry this afternoon. I'm doing my quals." smile Harm. Things had been weird between them since the engagement party. She was behaving more like his wife and not Bugme's.

"What are you talking about? My wedding is Saturday. The rehearsal dinner is Friday night. You promised me you would be there Harm." cried Mac. Why was he doing this to me?

"Don't worry Mac, I'll make it back before the wedding. I'll be finished with my quals by Friday afternoon. At worse I'll get back here Saturday morning." he replied wondering what the big deal was. They weren't the ones getting married.

"And what if something happens and you can't make it back?" she asked him as her voice began to rise.

"Nothing is going to happen Mac. Besides, it's not that you really need me there and if you do, then maybe you should reconsider who you're marrying." smiled Harm in a conceited manner.

"Why are you doing this to me Harm? I thought you were my friend." cried Mac.

"I'm not doing anything Mac. I scheduled my quals three months ago long before you chose a date. If I don't do them this week, then I don't have another opportunity for another six months." explained Harm. He hadn't done this on purpose. They weren't the ones getting married.

"You only fly two or three times a year Harm if you're lucky. You shouldn't take a chance of missing my wedding to fly a tomcat." argued Mac. She needed him. He told her he would be there if she needed him.

"I'm sorry Mac, but I have a plane to catch. Bye." replied Harm and the elevator door shut leaving Mac almost in tears as she stormed back to her office.

"What's going on?" asked Loren. She had been in the head, but heard the disturbance.

"It was just the Commander and Colonel. They were fighting again. It seems he wants to go flying for a couple of days and she wants him to stay here for the wedding." replied Harriet.

Mac was going to need her, but she would give her twenty minutes to regain her composer. Senior Officers didn't like to look weak in front of Junior Officers.

"You would think it was their wedding Saturday." replied Loren shaking her head. She didn't really understand what was going on. She had heard though that they had been very close at one time.

"We all thought they would get married some day, that is before the Commander returned to the fleet to fly tomcats. Things have never been the same between them since." explained Harriet.

Harriet waited a few hours before heading to Mac's office to talk with her. She knew if she had tried to talk to Mac too soon, Mac would have shut down. By giving her the time to think about her confrontation with the Commander, she would be more level headed and willing to talk.

"I heard you and the Commander talking before. Are you alright Ma'am?" asked Harriet after she walked into the office.

"He's decided to go to the Patrick Henry to do his quals. He didn't even tell me he was going. He used to tell me everything." wailed Mac.

"Your relationship has changed Ma'am. You're marrying another man." replied Harriet.

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Mac. She was still upset that Harm hadn't told her. She thought that they were friends.

"Well .... before ..... even though you weren't married, you two were considered a couple. You did everything together. You shared things with each other. That's kind of hard to do when you're marrying Mic. You can't be a couple with Harm anymore." answered Harriet.

"I still don't understand why he has to leave and do his quals. He knows my wedding is in a few days." wailed Mac. Why was he doing this to her?

"Didn't you say once that flying makes him happy. While he might say he wants you to be happy, I don't think he's happy that you're marrying someone else." sighed Harriet.

"He had his chance to change all that Harriet. He didn't want me. If he did, he would have fought for me. He wouldn't have let Mic marry me. Harm doesn't like to lose to Mic." argued Mac.

"He chose flying two years ago Ma'am. It's who he is. It's why you probably care for him." replied Harriet trying to let Mac see that it wasn't personal.

Patrick Henry

Harm arrived on the Patrick Henry later that afternoon. He wasn't in the best of moods. The last thing he wanted to do before he left was to have a fight with Mac.

It was going to be tough enough for her as it was without him adding to the drama. Why had he told her to reconsider who she was marrying? He wasn't exactly going to volunteer to marry her Saturday even though he didn't like Bugme andthat she meant everything in the world to him.

Why couldn't he just come out and tell her that he loved her and that he didn't want her to marry the dingo? He knew he should be willing to step up to the plate and give Sarah everything she desired, but he couldn't. He didn't know why he couldn't.

"Hello Commander, It's nice to see you again." greeted Skates.

"Hello Skates, it's nice to be back if only for a few days." replied Harm wishfully. She could sense something was wrong. Harm wasn't his usual cheerful self.

They walked over to see Captain Ingles and the LSO, The LSO wasn't very happy to see Harm. He was recently assigned to the Patrick Henry. He was there to train real pilots, not wanabees. He didn't know Harm's history.

The only thing he knew was Harm was a legal weenie who didn't deserve to be there. Why was he here wasting his time and the ship's resources?

"Good to see you again Commander." greeted Captain Ingles.

"It's nice to be back Sir. Only wish it could be for a longer visit Sir." acknowledged Harm.

"Don't you have better things to do than waste out time Commander?" the LSO questioning Harm's manhood.

"The Commander was one of the finest pilots to ever fly off the Patrick Henry. I was his RIO when he was here," Skates.

"When you have two DFCs LSO, then you can question his right to fly." counseled Captain Ingles.

"Yes Sir." replied the LSO eating a little humble pie.

"I'm here Commander because I've earned the right to be here. I don't need any special favors from anyone." replied an annoyed Harm before walking away with Skates in his tow.

He had been in a foul mood when he left Washington. He was feeling pretty good as he touched down on the Patrick Henry. Who was this moron to question his right to fly? Now his mood was souring again.

"What's wrong?" asked Skates. He seemed to be quite sullen to her. Something had to be wrong. He obviously had a burr in his saddle.

"Nothing." replied Harm.

"How's the Colonel?" asked Skates. She thought a change of tactics was in order.

It must have something to do with her. Did he have a fight with her before he came here? She knows how much he likes to fly. Surely she wouldn't ask him not to fly.

"She's getting married." answered Harm.

"Why aren't you with her? How can she get married without you there?" Skates. They must have had a fight. She had never seen two people more in love than them.

"She said the same thing." replied Harm smartly. Why can't she leave him alone.

"Well it's pretty hard to marry someone if he's not there." offered Skates.

"I'm not the one she's marrying." snapped Harm. Why can't she leave it alone?

"I thought you two were together. I thought you two were in love." queried Skates. She wondered what had happened? She wondered what Harm had done? She knew the Colonel was in love with Harm.

Her eyes lit up whenever she saw him. She always gave Harm the sweetest smiles. She was always excited to see him even after a rough day in court.

"What ever gave you that idea?" snapped Harm.

"You forgot I saw the two of you together two years ago when she was here to prosecute the Xman. Everyone here saw the sparks fly between the two of you. We saw the looks you shared with each other. You might have been on different sides in the courtroom, but you were in love outside it." smiled Skates.

"That's was just your imagination Skates. We have never been a couple." argued Harm.

"Too many people here saw you together Harm. Even the CAG could see it. It's one of the reasons why he sent you back to JAG" replied Skates not conceding an inch.

"Please Skates, you know that's not truth. The CAG only thinks about what's best for the ship, not about what's best for his personnel personal life." argued Harm.

"Then why are you upset that she's marrying another guy?" asked Skates.

"When did you become so perceptive Skates?" asked Harm. Were they always that obvious to everyone? No matter where they ever went they heard the same thing.

"It's something we women know Harm. We know when two people are in love." smiled Skates.

Over the next two days Harm completed his quals. As usual he graded out the best which amazed the LSO. The man only flew several times a year and he was flying better than everyone who flew every day.

"Out standing job Commander. You were amazing. I can see why they like to keep you on active flight status. It was nice to meet you." conceded the LSO.

"Thank you Commander, as I have said many times before, I was born to fly." smiled Harm.

"There's a storm coming in Commander, I don't know if I can let you go tonight." informed Captain Ingles.

"I really need to get back Sir. Colonel MacKenzie is getting married tomorrow." pleaded Harm.

"She wouldn't get married without you Commander. You two are meant to be together." smiled Captain Ingles.

"I'm not the one she's marrying Sir." replied Harm.

"What happened Commander? You screw the pooch?" asked Captain Ingles.

"Not that I'm aware of Sir." replied Harm wondering what was going on. Maybe Skates was right if the Captain was aware.

"Something must have happened Commander. I see the way the two of you are when you're together. You look like two love crazed teenagers with so much desire when you were here last for Buxton's court martial.

One of the crew filmed the two of you together. My wife saw it and thought she was seeing a remake of Love Story." taunted Captain Ingles.

"No sir. Just two good friends who were happy to see each other after six months." replied Harm.

"You're a fool then Commander." smiled Captain Ingles shaking his head in disbelief.

Friday

25 May 2001

restaurant

Just before Mac left for the restaurant with Chloe she received a phone call from Harm. He wanted to let her know that he would be leaving the carrier within the hour and that he should make it back sometime tonight. He wished her good luck and said goodbye.

A sense of relief came over Mac knowing that he would be there for her. Chloe had wanted to know what Harm wanted. She was disappointed that Mac wasn't marrying Harm. She knew that they were meant to be together.

Everyone had just finished dinner when the Admiral wanted to make a toast to Mac and Mic. He went around the table filling up everyone's glass with champagne. Chloe wanted some too, but the Admiral knew better.

Chloe was much too young to be drinking champagne and it wasn't his place to be giving her any. He told her to see him in eight years. Chloe was terribly disappointed. She had watched many movies in which the heroine drank champagne.

It was supposed to taste very good and was bubbly. Every young woman loved champagne. Mic saw the sad look on her face and thought why not? There wasn't anything wrong with just a taste. After all he was an alcoholic in denial.

He also knew from experience that most young teenagers didn't like the taste of wines and champagne. It was an acquired taste. Most teenagers drank to get a buzz on or to forget. They didn't drink because they liked the taste of alcohol.

So he figured he would be a nice guy. It was a day to be happy and celebrate. Why shouldn't she be happy like everyone else and have a taste of the ole bubbly? He would score brownie points with her and she wouldn't like it anyway.

What he didn't expect was Mac's reaction when she found out. She took Mic into another room and proceeded to chastised him for giving Chloe a taste of champagne. He didn't have the right to give alcohol to a minor.

"What were you thinking Mic? She's only thirteen." yelled Mac.

"She looked so sad sitting there. My mum let me try drinking wine when I was only twelve." mumbled Mic.

"And we know where that has led too. Mic, Chloe is not your child. You don't have the right to give her alcohol. While she is here she is my responsibility, not yours. If something were to happen to her, I would bare sole responsibility. You had no right to usurp my authority." disciplined Mac.

"I meant no harm Sarah. It's ... just a happy time for everyone. I thought it would be okay to give her a taste. She didn't like it." whined Mic.

"That's not the point Mic. What if she did like the taste? What if she decided to drink and get drunk as a teenager?" yelled Mac.

"Sarah!" whined Mic.

"There is no ifs Mic. There is a law in this country that states no drinking under the age of twenty one. There is a reason for it Mic whether or not you agree with it. You're suppose to uphold the laws of the land." finished Mac as she walked back into the other room.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

Part three The rehearsal dinner

The party was in full swing. Everyone except for Harm had arrived. Renee was disappointed that Harm wasn't there. She had been out of town the last two weeks. When she had gotten back in town she listened to the message Harm had left her.

He had gone to the aircraft carrier Patrick Henry to do his quals. She didn't understand why he was doing it. He hardly flew anymore for which she was thankful. Why was it so important for him to still fly?

She had asked Mac about it once. All Mac would say it was who he was. He was a pilot first, sailor second, and a lawyer third. Anything else was put behind that in priority. Mac had said at one time it was much worse when he was still searching for his father.

They were finished with dinner. Bud had made some stupid speech about Mikey and Harriet that no one could understand. The Admiral was about to make a toast when a waiter brought a phone to him. It was a ship to shore call.

"Admiral Cheggewidden speaking." greeted AJ.

"Sir, this is Captain Ingles of the Patrick Henry. I have some bad news for you Sir. On a bingo flight to Norfolk Commander Rabb's tomcat went down. We are commencing a Search and Rescue operation. I don't know how long we have to conduct the search. The weather is getting very bad." replied Captain Ingles.

"Thank you Captain, carry on. Let me know when you have more news." sighed AJ.

"What's wrong Sir?" asked Mac.

"It seems that on a bingo flight back to Norfolk Commander Rabb's tomcat went down." replied the Admiral.

"What are they doing? Have they sent out Search and Rescue?" asked a concerned and frighten Mac.

"They're in the air as we speak Colonel. We should know something within the hour." replied the Admiral.

"What was Harm doing flying back tonight Sir? I heard on the radio on my way here that it was the storm of the century out there." whined Renee.

"He was on his way back for the wedding Ms Peterson. That's all I know." replied the Admiral.

Renee went off weeping to a corner of the room while Mac arranged for a conference phone to be delivered to the room. She wanted to know what was going on as it happened when Captain Ingles called again.

An hour later Captain Ingles was on the line again. The Admiral informed him that he was on speaker phone, their conversation was not going to be private. The Captain wasn't exactly pleased to hear that, but who was he to argue with an Admiral.

"Sir, the search team has found someone. They're lowering the basket now Sir. It's Lieutenant Hawkes." informed Captain Ingles.

"Is the Commander with you Skates?" asked the LSO. He had control of the rescue operation.

"No Sir, he didn't punch out when I did. There must have been something wrong with the ejection level Sir." replied Skates.

"Did you see him punch out at all Skates?" asked the LSO.

"No Sir. But then again I didn't see the plane crash into the ocean either Sir." replied Skates.

"Sir, he must have kept the plane in the air longer to gain altitude. Maybe he ejected later." reported the LSO.

"Sir, the seas are getting rougher. Swells are thirty five feet, the ceiling is less than a hundred feet. At best we can make is one more pass of the area." reported the LSO.

"Very well Commander, no sense jeopardizing the lives of any more men, over and out." replied Captain Ingles.

Mac couldn't believe what she was hearing. Harm was out there. They were calling off the search. They couldn't do that. Harm was out there depending upon them to find him. They had to continue the search, they just had to.

"Sir, what about the Commander?" asked Mac.

"We will continue the search when the weather calms down. We can't risk the lives of ten men looking for one ..... " replied Captain Ingles.

"That will be all Captain." interrupted the Admiral. He didn't want an argument over an open phone line. There were procedures to be followed. Unfortunately sometimes people die. The safety of the crew was more important than one man.

"Admiral, I had questions for Captain Ingles. They can't stop the search. Harm is alive, he's depending upon them Sir." pleaded Mac.

"To what end Mac. Harm knows the risks that are involved when he goes up in a tomcat, that he might not come back. It's probably why he never tried to have a relationship with you. But the reality is Mac, Harm wouldn't want ten people to die in an effort to save him.

The conditions the LSO was describing are as bad as it can get. It would be tough enough under ideal conditions to find Harm, but under these conditions, it's possibly impossible.

How do you find a man in all that water when you're not sure where he ended up. He was traveling four hundred miles an hour. That's almost seven miles a minute. If Harm tried to gain altitude before ejecting you're talking maybe five to ten minutes.

They don't even know what his heading was. And even if they did, my guess would be Harm would have veered off it after Lieutenant Hawkes punched out. The area one has to search increases greatly the longer Harm waited to eject.

They're doing the best they can under horrendous conditions Mac. If anyone can survive out there, it's Harm. All we can do is pray for Harm and hope for the best." sighed the Admiral.

"Yes Sir, you're right. I'm just concerned about him. He's the best friend I ever had." wailed Mac.

Mac went off to be by herself. Even though Mic was the man Mac was supposed to be marrying tomorrow, Harm was the man she loved the most in the entire world. She didn't know what kind of world it would be if Harm wasn't in hers.

She found a dark room far away from the party. She looked out a window and saw the intensity of the rain as it fell. The wind was blowing hard. There was so much energy out there. She hoped that Harm would be able to draw on some of it and find a way to survive until he was rescued.

"I'm worried Sir." slurred Mic.

"About what Mic?" asked the Admiral.

"I'm worried about Sarah. I've never seen her like this. I don't know if she will want to get married in the morning." slurred Mic.

"She's a strong woman Mic. I'm sure she'll find a way to deal with Harm going down, but I think you're right, you probably won't be getting married tomorrow. I doubt she will be in the mood to do anything until she knows that Harm is okay." smiled the Admiral.

He felt sorry for Mic. While he may have somehow gotten Mac to agree to marry him, closing the deal wasn't going to be easy. Mac was in love with Harm. Everyone knew that even Jason.

If Harm died, Mac wouldn't be the same for a long time. He never could understand why Brumby wanted Mac when he knew that Mac wanted to be with Harm. How could one live with a person who was in love with someone else?

Atlantic Ocean

Skates popped the canopy. She pulled the ejection lever to eject them. She felt herself flying up out of the tomcat. She released the safety belt and began the long trip slowly down as the parachute deployed fully.

She looked for Harm, but couldn't see him. She was scared. She was counting on Harm to help her after they landed in the ocean. She wasn't a strong swimmer. Where was he? Now she was even more scared.

Was Harm going to go down with the plane? She knew that he wasn't thrill about the Colonel marrying someone else, but would he kill himself so he wouldn't have to face it. He couldn't die, he loved the Colonel. He would do anything to be with her.

She prayed to God that somehow Harm got out of the plane before it crashed. She soft landed in the water. She managed to deploy her raft and climb into it. Once again she looked up into the sky for Harm, but couldn't see him. It was too dark.

Harm cursed when his seat didn't eject with Skates'. The tomcat was going down fast. He was afraid his chute wouldn't fully deploy or that he would be too low when he ejected and the chute wouldn't slow him down enough.

Water had a tendency to be very hard when you hit it going at high velocity. He looked at the altimeter. It read two thousand feet, much too low to eject. He grabbed the stick and got the nose of the tomcat up.

He got the plane up to thirty two hundred feet before he decided to eject. It was going to be close. He prayed that he wouldn't hit the water too hard. Unfortunately he did hit hard and went in deep.

He felt the ocean waves shearing and pulling at his body in many direction. The pain was intense. The need to get back to the surface was even greater. No matter how well you time your entrance into the water you ran out of air much too soon.

One of the ropes from the parachute was wrapped around his neck. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his knife to cut the rope. He struggled in his effort to reach the surface and catch his breath.

It was difficult because the waves were surging thirty feet high. He deployed his raft, but before he could grab it, it moved away from him. He had to swim after it. It took him about ten minutes to grab the raft as the waves tried to play keep away with him.

By the time got into the raft he was exhausted and very cold. On top of that he felt extreme pain in his back and he couldn't move his legs. He tried to maintain consciousness, but the pain was too much.

He fell asleep dreaming of Mac. He was trying to get to her before she said I do to Mic, but he was too late. Harm washed up on shore two days later unconscious.

He was suffering from Hypothermia along with the injuries he suffered when he hit the water. He had landed in the ocean much closer to shore than Skates. They were headed towards the coastline when they ejected. Since Harm was in the plane much longer he wasn't far from shore.

Tuesday

29 May 2001

Headquarters

Mac arrived at Jag. She had left word with Jason to let her know if there was any news about Harm. They had called off the search and she had called off the wedding. She was in no shape to get married nor were any of her friends. They were all concerned about Harm.

Jason had called her to let her know that Captain Ingles was coming to Jag to talk with them Admiral. Maybe he had some news about Harm.

She wanted to be there. She hoped that he had some good news about Harm. It was true that Harm had been reported lost at sea and presumed dead, but she knew that wasn't the case. She knew Harm was alive.

She could still feel his presence. She was sure that if Harm had died she would know. She believed that she would be able to sense his passing. She walked up to Jason's desk.

"Is Captain Ingles in with the Admiral?" asked Mac.

"Yes Ma'am, he just went in." replied Jason.

"Could you let the Admiral know that I'm here and would like to see him." directed Mac.

"Yes Ma'am." replied Jason

He buzzed the Admiral. "Sir, Colonel MacKenzie is here to see you." reported Jason.

They heard the Admiral say "Send her in." over the intercom.

Mac took a seat next to Captain Ingles. He was a little uneasy to see her there. He had hoped to come to Jag and give a report of what happened. He didn't want to answer a lot of questions.

He knew Mac's connection to the Commander and her reputation. She wouldn't take anything at face value. She would ask very detail questions that he didn't know if he had answers for. She wouldn't quit until she had the answers.

"As you both know we found Lieutenant Hawkes shortly after the tomcat went down. The seas were rough and the wind shear was very high. We were lucky to rescue her when we did.

Base on where we found her and the direction she reported they were going we conducted a detailed search pattern for Commander Rabb after the storm let up. As you know we didn't find him.

Lieutenant Hawkes reported that she didn't see him eject when she ejected nor later as she parachuted down. Initially we thought that the Commander may have gone done with the plane.

But we didn't find the plane in the ocean where we expected it to be. We found the plane more than fifty miles further west than where we expected to find it. We didn't find any signs that his body was with the plane.

We suspect that when Commander Rabb failed to eject with Lieutenant Hawkes, he must have been too low to eject safely. We suspect that Commander Rabb might have stayed in the plane longer, perhaps to gain additional altitude to safely eject.

He must have ejected since there were no seats left in the plane. We conducted another search between where we found the plane back to where we found Lieutenant Hawkes. We didn't find him.

We believed he must be dead. He's been in the water way too long, he would had died from hypothermia. I'm sorry Sir, Colonel. That's all the information I have. I don't have any answers for you as to why the plane went down and why we couldn't find the Commander. He was a good officer and damm fine pilot." concluded Captain Ingles.

"Thank you Captain that will be all. I'm sure NCIS will be out to the ship to conduct a further investigation and we will know more then. Good day." replied the Admiral.

He knew Mac had questions to ask the Captain, but now wasn't the time. Captain Ingles's visit was a courtesy. He wasn't there to be put on the spot and be grilled by Mac. In time they would have the answers that they were seeking.

Mac was very disappointed. She had so many questions she wanted to ask Captain Ingles. Why was Harm flying home in such a storm? Was it even safe to fly in weather that bad? She still had hope that somehow Harm was still alive. They hadn't found his body.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

Part four Time to heal

The wedding had been cancelled. They was no way Mac could think about getting married after Harm's tomcat had gone down. She would be worrying about him. It wouldn't be fair to Mic. She wouldn't be able to focus on him liked he deserved.

Of course Mic couldn't or wouldn't understand why she didn't want to get married the following weekend. Then again Mic never did understand her needs, he tried to persuade her not to postpone the wedding. Harm would be found.

How was she supposed to get married? Getting married was supposed to be the happiest day of your life. How could she be happy when she was worried about Harm. Even if they were to find him he would probably end up in the hospital

He wouldn't be there for her, she needed him to be there. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to their friends. They were worried about Harm too. They wouldn't be able to enjoy the wedding if Harm was missing or dead.

A few days later Mic pressured Mac about getting married the following weekend, but there was no way she could ever think about getting married. Harm was declared missing and presumed dead.

There wasn't anyway he could have survived in the ocean after so many hours. The water temperature was less than fifty degrees. It had been estimated that he couldn't survive for more than five or six hours.

Mac was devastated. It took everything she had to take care of herself and Chloe. She needed Harriet's help in sending Chloe home. She was grieving Harm's lost. Everyone was telling her that Harm was dead, but she didn't believe that Harm was dead.

She would know if he was dead. They had this connection. They always knew where the other was. They had an uncanny way of knowing when the other was near. Get married? How could she get marry?

She was grieving. Her friends were grieving. She was not going to get marry while she was grieving. Mic tried to convince her that if they did get married her spirit would be lifted, their friends wouldn't feel so sad.

Their hearts would lighten and they would be happy once again. Mac knew that bullshit wasn't true. She wasn't going to get married when she was feeling so despondent. She wasn't going to get marry to replace the sadness she was feeling in her heart.

She wasn't going to get married until she felt joy in her heart again. That wasn't going to happen for a very long time. Mic wasn't happy about that. While he was sad as everyone else that Harm had died, life went on.

He couldn't understand why he had to wait to marry Mac. He was the happiest man in the world. He wanted to share that feeling with the world. He was supposed to be marrying Mac, the most beautiful woman he had known.

They were so perfect together. Why should Harm's death change any of that? Unfortunately he thought he knew the real reason. Despite her assertions to the contrary, she was in love with Harm.

Bud had told him to be patient. Mac wasn't going anywhere and Mac would soon be able to move on after Harm's death. Mac had told him that she did love him. Maybe she did, but did she love him as much as she loved Harm?

Was she settling for him because she couldn't have Harm, the man she really wanted. Harriet had told him about the relationship between Harm and Mac. While there might have been a few other people in their lives,

they always ended up back together since they were always together. The others could never deal with that aspect of their lives. When Mac still hadn't made a decision after two weeks about when to reschedule the wedding,

Mic realized that it wasn't going to happen. He decided to return to the Australian Navy. He said his goodbyes and left. Mac didn't want him to go. She asked him to be patient and let her grieve, but he wouldn't and soon he was gone.

Mac was scheduled to take two weeks of leave for her honeymoon, but after the aborted wedding plans she decided to return to work. The Admiral wouldn't have any of it. Mac needed to grieve for Harm's death.

He wanted Mac to take two weeks of bereavement leave before returning to work. Mac compromised and took one week of bereavement leave before reporting back to work. She still believed that Harm was alive and was only missing.

She wanted to be there when JAG received news that Harm was alive. Unfortunately for the Admiral and his staff Mac wasn't her usual chipper self. She was short tempered and quite angry at work, causing everyone to be on eggshells.

She had very little patience for their incompetence and took it out on the staff. Each day, each week it seemed that her attitude was getting worse to the Admiral. Something had to be done to rectify the situation.

Friday

29 June 2001

Headquarters

The Admiral called Mac into his office to have a serious talk with her. It had been five weeks since Harm died. Everyone was still mourning his death. Mac had returned to work ten days after the crash. She had canceled the wedding after Harm's crash.

Mic hoped to postpone the wedding until the following weekend, but Mac wanted no part of it. She wasn't going to get married until Harm was found and was home. She wanted him at the wedding. She believed that he was still alive.

She spent the week grieving before returning to work. When she returned she found morale at the office very low and people were not working. She could understand that they were at a lost with Harm gone, but that wasn't a reason for them not to do their jobs.

Everyone tried to convince her that Harm was dead, but she knew that he wasn't. She was a holy terror with them, jumping on them when something wasn't done in a timely fashion. The Admiral had walked out into the bullpen area a few times and heard Mac chewing out someone. No one had been spared from Mac's wrath.

"Take a seat Colonel. How are you doing?" asked a concerned Admiral

"Fine Sir." replied Mac.

"Are you sure about that Colonel? You have been riding my people pretty hard the last month." questioned the Admiral.

"They aren't doing their job Sir. And when they do they're making too many mistakes." argued Mac defensively.

"They're mourning the death of Commander Rabb Colonel. It's to be expected that it will take time for everything to get back to normal." the Admiral countered.

"There is no excuse for incompetence Sir. They are suppose to be professionals. The world didn't stop just because Harm's plane went down. He's not dead Sir. I would know it if he was. They haven't found his body." argued Mac.

"And they probably never will Colonel. The ocean has a knack of swallowing up everything that goes into it. You're beginning to sound like Rabb and his missing father. It's time to move on.

To help you facilitate the grieving process I'm putting you on compassionate sick leave. I have a place in South Carolina that you can stay at. It's on the coast. In a month's time we will review your status to determine whether or not if you need more time or help." the Admiral informed Mac.

"Sir, I don't need any time off." replied Mac.

"Colonel, the office is in turmoil. You have my people walking on eggshells. You are not dealing with the Commander's death very well at all. You're in denial. I don't want to send you to see a shrink.

I would rather give you the time you need to sort things out on your own. Jason has directions to the house. I'll see you in four weeks." explained the Admiral.

"Yes Sir." conceded a sullen Mac.


	5. Chapter 5

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

Part five Time of discovery

Friday

20 July 2001

AJ's summer home

South Carolina

Mac had been at the Admiral's summer home for three weeks. She would go for five mile runs in the morning and take long walks in the afternoon. It was very therapeutic for her being on the ocean's edge. Somehow it made here feel closer to Harm.

It felt like he was somewhere near waiting for her to find him and bring him home. She loved it there at the beach. She would sit there at night and watch the sun go down. She saw many beautiful sunsets.

She thought that several times she could hear him calling out for her wondering where she was. He was lost and needed her help to find his way back to her.

She had met her neighbor a few times when she was returning from her walks. She was a nurse. She worked at the county hospital ten miles away. Her name was Amanda Sullivan.

One afternoon when she was returning from a run instead of a walk. She saw Amanda waiting for her on the beach. Mac invited her to come back to the house and have some coffee.

"I just brewed some coffee. Why don't you help yourself to a cup while I take a quick shower." offered Mac.

"Thanks Sarah. Do you mind if I look around? I've always wondered what this place looked like on the inside." asked Amanda.

"Go right ahead, I don't think the Admiral would mind you looking." smiled Mac. She liked Amanda. They had become good friends while she was staying there.

Amanda walked around the living room. She saw the picture of a very good looking man on the mantle above the fireplace. On the coffee table she saw an open photo album. She saw the same man with Sarah. He was a very tall man who made Sarah look quite small.

He looked familiar to her somehow. She continued to leaf through the album. There were many pictures of them together. They appeared to do many things together. Dancing seemed to be a favorite theme of theirs.

She wondered if something had happen to the man in the pictures. There must be a reason why Sarah was staying here on the beach. She was trying to get away from something. She seemed to be very sad to her. Maybe the man had left her or maybe he had died.

It was at that point it began to come quite clear to her. The man in the hospital looked like the man in all of Sarah's photos. Was he the man who was missing from Sarah's life? Was it possible that Sarah knew who the man was?

He had been found on the beach two months ago. He had no identification on him, only a picture in his pocket. The picture was of ...... she tried to focus on the image on the photo in her mind. Sarah was the woman in the photo. She was dressed like a gypsy.

Mac walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. She walked back into the living room to see Amanda looking through the album.

"His name is Harmon Rabb Jr. He's six foot four with dreamy blue eyes. He's a Commander in the Navy. We've worked together for five years. He's my best friend." sighed Mac.

"He's your best friend. I'm surprise to hear that he's not your husband Sarah. You look great together. What happened?" observed Amanda.

"He was a fighter pilot in another life. He tries to keep up his skill several times a year. Two months ago he was flying back from the Patrick Henry where he had completed his quals. His plane developed engine and instrument problems on route and went down.

They rescued his RIO, but they didn't find him. They declared himmissing and presumed dead. They assumed he was lost at sea. But I don't believe that he is dead. I would know it if he was. We have a psychic connection between us.

Since I have been here I can feel his presence. I know he has to be somewhere nearby. I can hear him calling for me at sunset when the wind is blowing in from the sea." explain Mac.

"Do you trust me Sarah?" asked Amanda.

"Sure, what is it?" asked Mac.

"Lets go for a ride. I have something to show you." replied Amanda.

Twenty minutes later they had arrived at their destination. They had gone to the county hospital where Amanda worked. Mac was wondering why they had come here. She hadn't realized that it might have something to do with Harm.

They walked inside the hospital where they met another nurse. She was a good friend of Amanda. They had been taking care of a very special comatose man for the last two months.

"Sarah, I would like you to meet a friend of mine, Susan Johnson. We take care of patients who are in comas or near the end of their lives. We have a special patient we like to talk to everyday. He doesn't say anything. We don't even know his name." smiled Amanda.

"Have you come to see him Amanda?" asked Susan. Then it dawned on her why Amanda was there. Maybe the woman who was with her might be able to tell them who the man was.

"I thought maybe Sarah would like to meet him." smiled Amanda.

Now it was Mac's turn to wonder what was going on. The three of them walked to the room where the man in the coma was. Susan opened the curtains to let more light into the room.

"He was found on the beach the day after a big storm about two months ago. It was only a few miles from where you are staying. He didn't have any identification on him, but he did have this photo in his pocket." Amanda told Sarah as she handed the photo to her.

Mac looked at the photo. It was a photo of her smiling in her gypsy costume. Tears came to her eyes. It was a photo of her in a happier time. Then it hit her. The man had to be Harm. It was the only way he could have a picture of her.

She went over to the bed to look at the man lying there. It was Harm. He was alive. She knew it. She thank God for letting her find him.

"It's him. It's Harm." smiled Mac as tears began to roll down her cheeks. She bent over and gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"Susan, why don't you go and get Dr. Stewart." ordered Amanda.

"Harm, it's me Mac. I'm here. I finally found you. Everyone told me that you were dead, but I knew it wasn't true. I would have known if you had died. We have this connection you know.

I'm sorry it took me so long to find you, but you weren't where you were supposed to be. Why am I not surprise? You always have to do things in your own way. I'm sorry about the fight we had before you left.

I should have known that your quals were coming up, but I guess I was too worried about what Mic was up to. It's time to wake up Harm. You have been sleeping long enough. Please Harm, wake up, talk to me." cried Mac.

A short while later Dr. Stewart entered the room. Susan had told him that they had a visitor who knew the identity of the comatose patient in room 204. He gathered up his notes and the file on the patient and hurried to greet the visitor.

"Good afternoon Miss, my name is Dr. Stewart." he held out his hand to greet Mac.

"Hi, my name is Sarah MacKenzie. I'm a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marines. I'm a lawyer. I'm stationed in Washington." replied Mac.

"Susan has told me that you know the patient." asked Dr Stewart looking to confirm what he had been told.

"Yes Sir, his name is Harmon Rabb Jr. He's a Commander in the Navy. Two months ago his plane went down in a terrible storm. He was presumed dead." replied Mac.

"So he's a pilot in the Navy." he asked looking for confirmation.

"No Sir, he's a lawyer, but he likes to fly part time. We work together. He use to be a pilot. He only flies a few times a year now." replied Mac.

"Okay, so that I understand, his plane went down in the mother of all storms two months ago. I assume he ejected from the plane. That would explain the severity of his injuries. He suffered traumatic impact injuries." he reported.

"What do you mean Doctor?" asked Mac.

"He had several hairline fractures in his lower back. He broke his hip and right leg. He must have been in the water for a long time because he was suffering from a severe case of hypothermia. It's a wonder that he survived at all.

The shock of all the injuries probably caused him to go into a coma. It has allowed him time to heal. Most of his injuries have heal though he's going to have to do some major rehabilitation when he wakes up." he informed Mac.

"Is he going to wake up?" asked Mac.

"He should, but only time will tell." he replied.

"He should be moved to Bethesda. The Navy likes to take care of their own. If you give me the all your paperwork I will see that your hospital is properly reimburse for of all your cost." directed Mac.

"That's not necessary Ma'am." he offered.

"Like I said the Navy takes care of its own. I'm sure private insurance companies are expected to paid all reasonable charges. The government is no different. I'm going to call Bethesda to arrange for a helicopter to come and get him. Thank you very much Doctor for taking good care of Harm." replied Mac.

"Do you mind if I come with you Sarah? I have never flown in a helicopter before. Besides, I will be able to fill the Navy doctors in about Commander Rabb's injuries and care." pleaded Amanda.

"I would welcome the company Amanda. You have been a good friend. Maybe you can get us something to eat while I call Bethesda and make the arrangements." smiled Mac. She leaned over and gave Harm a loving kiss and whispered to him "I love you."

A short while later Mac was on the phone with a hospital administrator. She was a little peeve that they were giving her so much trouble. She had a Navy commander that needed to be transported to Bethesda.

She wasn't spend three hours riding in an ambulance when a helicopter could make the trip in seventy minutes. It was time to pull rank.

"Ma'am, we don't send out helicopters unless it's an emergency." the lieutenant tried to explain.

"Did I forget to identify who I am lieutenant?" asked Mac.

"No ma'am." he replied.

"Then I suggest that you send a helicopter here right now. Otherwise I will have you court martial for insubordination. It better be here within ninety minutes. Do you understand lieutenant?" ordered Mac.

"Yes, ma'am." he replied.

"And that goes for anyone who tells you different." added Mac.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

Part six Trip home

A couple hours later they were on their way to Bethesda. It was a long trip by helicopter, but much shorter than by ambulance. Dr. Stewart wasn't happy about moving Harm to another hospital.

He thought it was more to do with his hospital not being good enough to care for Harm rather than Harm should be in a military hospital because he was in the Navy. Coma patients usually weren't moved and he wasn't going to wake up just because you moved him.

Mac was holding Harm's hand as she was talking to Amanda. She hoped that somehow he could feel her presence and it would help him to wake up.

"What is Bethesda like Sarah?" asked Amanda. She wondered if a military hospital was any different than a civilian one.

"Best word I could say would be 'Big'. It also has some of the best doctors and nurses in the world. It handles many of the marines and sailors returning from the middle east with injuries." replied Mac.

"Is it near Washington, where you live?" asked Amanda.

"It's about a thirty minute drive north of the city. It's not too far from the Naval Academy." replied Mac as she felt Harm squeeze her hand.

"He squeezed my hand!" Mac exclaimed with surprise.

"It's probably just a reflex action. He's been in a quiet room for the last eight weeks. There's a lot more stimulus here in the helicopter. His body is probably just responding to the stimulus." replied Amanda.

"No, he's waking up. I can feel it. He's aware that I'm with him. He's coming back to me." argued Mac.

Before Amanda could open her mouth to respond they heard Harm speak "Mac." His eyes were close, but Mac could see that he was trying to open them.

"I'm here Harm. Open your eyes so I can see your baby blues." reassured Mac as Amanda looked on in disbelief.

She had heard stories about comatose patients waking up after many months when someone they loved came back into their lives. She had thought it was only an old wives tale, but what she was seeing was amazing to her. There must be something very special between them.

"I'm trying to marine, but it's so hard. It's like I'm in a thick fog and I can't see where I'm going. I'm trying to follow your voice." Harm replied.

"You should let him rest Sarah. It's wonderful that he's responding to you, but if he tries too hard he might suffer a relapse. In addition the helicopter ride probably isn't helping him. There is a lot of stimulus around him.

It's probably confusing him. It might be better if you wait until we get him to the hospital and let the doctors look at him. He can try again with less confusion." whispered Amanda.

"Harm, it's okay. You need to rest. We're on a helicopter. We're going to Bethesda. Go back to sleep. We can talk later." whispered Mac.

Bethesda

It wasn't long before they arrived at hospital. They took Harm into an examination room where Amanda explained Harm's condition to doctor. Mac told him what originally had happen.

"Good evening, my name is Commander Williams. What can you tell me about the patient?" greeted Commander Williams.

"His name is Commander Harmon Rabb. He was flying a tomcat back to Norfolk when it developed engine trouble. He and his RIO had to eject. Something went wrong. His RIO ejected and was found, but he didn't eject at the same time and wasn't found." began Mac.

"He was found later washed up on the beach and taken to Saint Michael's Hospital. He was suffering from a severe case of hypothermia. He had stress fractures in the lower lumbar region. He broke his hip and right leg. He's been in a coma since he arrived at the hospital." informed Amanda.

"It's no wonder he's been in a coma. His body needed time to heal. How long has it been since the crash?" asked Commander Williams.

"It was about eight weeks ago Commander. He woke up for a few minutes on the helicopter ride here." replied Mac.

"Does he have someone who can make medical decisions for him?" asked Commander Williams.

"That would be me Commander. My name is Colonel Sarah MacKenzie." replied Mac.

Commander Williams back stiffen at the name. He knew who he was dealing with now. He had heard about the exploits of Rabb and MacKenzie. He had also heard about how good they were in the courtroom. They weren't to be messed with.

"Let me examine him and then I'll talk to you again. It should take about an hour." directed Commander Williams.

Mac and Amanda went down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. Mac decided to call Trish. She would want to know that her son was alive. She would want to be here for Harm.

Frank was sitting down reading the newspaper as he listened to the evening news. Trish was still at the studio working, but would be home shortly. He heard the phone ring. He moaned as he got up to answer it.

He wondered who would be calling at this time of day. He didn't like getting phone calls this late in the day. It was never good.

"Hello, Frank Burnett speaking." greeted Frank.

"Hello Frank, this is Sarah MacKenzie. Is Trish there?" asked Mac.

"Hello Sarah, it's so nice to hear your lovely voice again. We've miss seeing you whenever you and Harm are out on the west coast conducting an investigation. Trish isn't home at the moment, but she will be soon. How have you been Sarah? Can I help you with anything?" answered Frank.

"I need you and Trish to come to Washington." replied Mac.

"Does this have something to do with Harm?" asked Frank.

"I can't talk to you about it over the phone. Give me a call when you know what flight you will be on. I will have someone waiting to pick you up." replied Mac.

"Who was that Sarah?" asked Amanda.

"That was Frank, Harm's step father. I thought it might be nice if his mother and Frank were here when he woke up." replied Mac.

"It also will be good for them. They were told that Harm died two months ago. Trish took it very hard. She's been depress. Frank said she felt like dying. I think her spirits will be lifted when she see Harm alive."

Tears were in her eyes. For the first time since she saw Harm in the hospital bed the reality of Harm being alive finally set in. Her emotional dam was about to burst. Amanda saw this and tried to comfort her.

"It's hard to lose someone you love. It's one of the hardest part of my job. People come to the hospital to get well, but sometimes they don't and you have to console their love one.

One thing I don't understand though is Harm's connection to you. You told me he crashed on the way back from the fleet to get to your wedding. You were marrying another guy." asked a confused Amanda.

"It was a big mistake. Harm had gone back to the fleet to fly again. He was the best friend that I ever had. We did so many things together. We had been on many adventures all over the world. I loved him so much. But he was gone.

During the time Harm was away I got closer to another man. I didn't think too much about it at the time because he was only going to be in the states for another six months. I didn't love him that way.

Harm returned to Jag sooner than expected. There was some strain in our relationship for awhile. Six months later we were in Australia. Harm was trying a case. I asked him if we could be a couple. I thought I had waited long enough, three and a half years.

He said he wasn't ready. I didn't really understand why he wasn't ready. I was sure he felt the same way. I thought he was in a good place, but I guess I was wrong. Anyway this other guy asked me to marry him. I said no, but he forced me to take his ring anyway.

He put it on my right hand sort of marking his territory so to speak. That was a year and a half ago. I didn't think I would see him again so I didn't take off the ring. I was hoping to send a message to Harm that if he didn't want me there were others that did.

Unfortunately Harm decided to be stubborn and decided to start dating someone else instead. It became a test of wills to see who would cave first. Neither of us did. If Harm hadn't crash I probably would have married a man I didn't love.

As it was he left when I wouldn't cave in and marry him the next day or the following weekend. He didn't understand that I couldn't get marry after my best friend had died. Getting married is supposed to be the happiest day of your life.

Who could be happy at that time? I was grieving. My friends were grieving. I didn't realized how shallow he really was. The Admiral sent me to South Carolina because I was still grieving and taking it out on everyone else." explained Mac.

"Do you love him?" asked Amanda.

"I love him with all my heart. I didn't realize how much until they said he crashed and they were calling off the search. I was devastated.

We had had a long talk at my engagement party two weeks before. I could see that he was a little distress. I had mentioned that it could have been our engagement party hoping to light a fire under his six.

All it really did was cause him to questioned whether or not I loved the other man. I told him he didn't have the right to ask that question. It was his last chance to tell me that he loved me and wanted me.

Eventually he hinted at it in a round about way, but since he couldn't say it I didn't feel I could change my mind. I wanted to get married. I didn't want to wait forever for him. I thought he understood that."

"What are you going to do now?" asked Amanda.

"I don't know, we'll have to wait and see. He did say something interesting a few days before the wedding before he left to do his quals. He said that if I needed him to be at my wedding, then maybe I should question who I was marrying." replied Mac.

"Maybe that was his way of telling you not to marry the other man. Maybe he would have stopped the wedding if he got back in time." argued Amanda as she tried to reassure Mac.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

part seven

An hour later the doctor met with Mac and Amanda in the Harm's room to talk to them. Harm appeared to be in good overall health. From what Amanda had told him and reading Harm's chart, the doctor believed that all his injuries were heal.

Only time would tell if he would come out of his coma, but in his opinion he doubt that it would ever happen. Harm had suffered a great shock to his system that in his opinion no one could recover completely.

Even if he did wake up he doubted that Harm wouldn't be brain damaged.

"Commander, Harm woke up on the flight here from South Carolina. There's nothing wrong with him except he's been a deep sleep. Amanda and I both heard him talk to me and squeeze my hand." informed Mac.

"They have a psychic connection Sir. She knew he was close by. There was also increase brain activity when she entered his hospital room. There was an increase in his breathing and his heart beat.

Each time she kissed him his heart began beating faster. He knew she was there somehow. She asked him to wake up on the helicopter and he did. He said he was in a fog and need her to keep on talking so he could find his way to her." added Amanda.

"As you know Ms Sullivan sometimes when there is a lot of noise or other stimulus, a comatose patient can sometime wake up for a brief period and not wake up again for years." replied the Doctor.

"I guess I'll just have to show you then Commander." replied Mac as she walked over to Harm and sat beside him. She took his hand in hers and squeezed.

"Harm, it's time to wake up now. You've been sleeping long enough. The Admiral is tired of your goldbricking. He thinks you've gone AWOL." began Mac.

"Not true marine." croaked out Harm to the Doctor's disbelief.

"You told me he thinks I'm dead."

"Can you open your eyes and show me your baby blues" asked Mac.

"If you give me a kiss first marine." replied Harm as a smile came across his face.

Mac leaned over and gave him a sweet kiss. A more passionate one would have to wait until they were alone. Harm slowly opened his eyes allowing them to adjust to the bright lights in the room.

The Doctor went over to check Harm. His eyes were responsive, his breathing and heartbeat a little quick. Probably the effects of being kissed by a beautiful woman he thought.

"My apologies Colonel, you were right. It appears that the Commander has made a full recovery. He probably should stay for observations for a few days. He'll probably have to stay a few more days to begin his rehab." conceded the Doctor.

"Mac!" whined Harm.

"You broke your hip and leg when your plane crashed. You haven't moved a muscle in eight weeks. You're too big for me to move around." smiled Mac.

"Harm, I would like you to meet Amanda. She took care of you until I found you." introduced Mac.

"Hi Harm, It's nice to see you awake. My friend Susan and I have been taking care of you since you wash ashore eight weeks ago. Sarah was showing me some pictures of you two together. It was then I knew who you were and why Sarah had come into my life." greeted Amanda.

"I don't understand." replied Harm.

"The Admiral banished me from his kingdom and sent me to live in the tower, his cottage in South Carolina." smiled Mac.

"What happened to Skates?" asked Harm as things began to become clear to him.

"Search and Rescued found her shortly after the crash, but they didn't find the plane until several days later. You had ejected, but they didn't find you. Everyone thought you were dead, but I didn't.

I could feel your life spirit, but I didn't know where you were. When I was at the cottage every night I would sit on the beach and watch the sunset. I could almost feel you there calling to me in the wind." answered Mac.

"I was calling you Mac. I was in a deep fog. I could see the setting sun in the distance. I kept walking towards it because I knew you were there waiting for me. I could sense that you were close.

I could hear people talking, but I couldn't make out the words until I heard your voice among the others." replied Harm.

While the Doctor was intrigued from a medical point of view, he couldn't believed the malarkey he was hearing. He just shook his head.

"Sir if you look closely at Harm's charts, you will see a change in his vitals beginning three weeks ago when Sarah first came to South Carolina. Each week his vitals grew stronger and stronger.

You can see three hours ago when Sarah came into his room that his vitals changed again to almost normal. He was showing signs of waking up." argued Amanda.

"It's an amazing story Ms Sullivan. I think you should write a case study and submit it for publication. I can sign off on it confirming your analysis. Simply remarkable." replied the Doctor as he left the room shaking his head.

Bennett home

La Jolla, Ca

Frank heard the back door open. It was Trish, his beloved wife for the last thirty years. He had just gotten off the phone with the airport. He had arranged for the company jet to take them to Reagan International.

"I'm sorry I'm late Frank. A customer was insistent on buying some paintings today, he but didn't have a cashier check with him too make the purchase. I had wait for someone from her bank to come." greeted Trish.

"I got a phone call from Sarah tonight." replied Frank.

"Harm? Sarah called? Was it about Harm? Did they find his body?" asked Trish. Her mind was buzzing around a mile a minute. She was only beginning to come out of her depression.

"She wants us to come to Washington tonight. She said she couldn't talk about it on the phone. I have the company jet on standby. I was hoping that we could leave in an hour." replied Frank.

"Of course Frank, just give me twenty minutes to pack a few things and call Marie to let her know I won't be coming in tomorrow." agreed Trish.

Her mind was going in ten different directions beginning with why did Sarah want them to come to Washington? Did they find Harm's body? Was he alive? Or was there something else about Harm they didn't know anything about?

Frank phoned Mac a few hours later. They were leaving San Diego at 2200 hours and expected to be in Washington at 0800 hours the next morning. She told him that she would have Gunny Galindez pick them up at the airport and that she would be see them later.

Mac dialed Gunny's number. She hated to call him since it was well after midnight, but she needed him. He was an early riser, but someone had to pick up Frank and Trish. It had to be someone she trusted, but didn't know who they were.

"Hello, Galindez speaking." croaked out Gunny wondering who would be calling him at such a appalling hour. He hoped that it wasn't an emergency.

"Gunny, this is Colonel MacKenzie. I need you to do something for me tomorrow morning. In fact I'm going to need your assistance for the whole day." requested Mac.

"Yes Ma'am." replied Gunny as he quickly alerted himself.

"I have two people coming in from California tomorrow, Mr. and Mrs. Burnett. I need you to pick them up at 0800 hours and bring them to Bethesda." ordered Mac.

"Are you alright Ma'am?" asked Gunny. She hadn't been in her right mind for weeks. Had she done something to hurt herself?

"I'm fine Gunny. Their son was just brought here to Bethesda. They haven't seen him in a long time. It's going to be a surprise for them. Also Gunny after you dropped them off here, I'm going to need you to drive a friend of mine back to South Carolina.

She flew up here with me last night. While you're there I will need you to pack up my things and drive my car back to JAG. I'll pick my car up later. Take Tiner with you, but make sure he doesn't touch any of my things." ordered Mac.

"Yes Ma'am. I'll let the Admiral know Ma'am." replied Gunny.

"Gunny, pick up Tiner after you drop off the Burnetts and pick up Amanda. Yes, she's single and available. If you see the Admiral you're only to tell him I need you and Tiner for the day.

If he insists in knowing more, tell him I flew back to Washington last night to see some friends and that you and Tiner are driving to South Carolina to pick up my gear and car." ordered Mac.

The next morning Gunny was at the airport early to pick up the Burnetts. They asked him why Mac wanted them there, but he didn't have the answer for them. He only knew that he was asked to pick them up. When a officer asked you to do something, you did it. They met Mac an hour later at Bethesda.

"Sarah, It's so nice to see you again, it's been too long." Trish greeted Mac with a hug.

"Hi Trish, Frank. This is Amanda. She's a very special lady who took care of a special person. I need to talk to Gunny and then I will let you know why I asked you to come here." smiled Mac.

Trish heart began to beat faster and lighter. It was like an anvil had been lifted off her chest. Sarah would have only called them if it had something to do with Harm. Since they were at Bethesda, he had to be alive.

"Amanda, this is Gunny Sergeant Victor Galindez. He will be driving you home after a quick stop at JAG to pick up Petty Officer Jason Tiner. They will take good care of you." smiled Mac.

Mac walked with Frank and Trish up to Harm's room. She wanted to tell them what happen to him and what his condition was presently.

"Can you tell us why you asked us to come here Sarah?" asked Frank. He suspected he knew the answer, but didn't want to rush to any conclusions.

"Yesterday afternoon after a run along the beach, I met up with Amanda who wanted to got out to dinner with me. While I was taking a shower she found my photo album with pictures of Harm and me.

She recognized Harm as the man who had washed up on the beach not too far from where I was staying. She asked me a few questions about him before taking me to the hospital where she worked.

She took me to the comatose wing of the hospital and to the room where he was at. I could sense that Harm was near. I walked into the room and it was Harm. He was in a coma. I arranged for him to be brought here to Bethesda. He woke up last night." wailed Mac with tears in her eyes.

"My baby is alive." cried Trish as Frank held on to her incase she fainted or lost her balance.

When they reached his room they could hear a woman almost screaming inside.

"Commander! You need to get back into bed! You've been in a coma for eight weeks. You just don't get up and walk out of the hospital!" screamed the nurse.

Mac, Trish, and Frank walked into the room. They saw Harm trying to put some pants on while the nurse was trying to get him back in bed.

"Harmon Rabb Jr.! Get your six back into bed where you know it belongs." ordered Trish to Harm's surprise.

"I've been in bed long enough mom. It's time for me to go home." argued Harm.

"Harm, the doctor said you need to stay here for a week. You don't want to suffer a relapse do you?" ordered Mac.

"You know I don't like hospitals Mac. I'm fine. I've already walked down the hall to find these scrubs." argued Harm.

"He's not ready to go home Ma'am. He almost collapse several time." the nurse informed Mac.

"I'll take it from here Lieutenant." smiled Mac.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

part eight

Saturday

21 July 2001

Headquarters

Gunny and Amanda walked into the bullpen to find Jason and to see where Harm and Mac worked. Amanda was very impressed with the operation.

"Jason, get your gear ready. We're going on a road trip." ordered Gunny.

"Keep Ms Sullivan company while I talk to the Admiral."

Gunny knocked on the door and went in on the command of "Enter!"

"What is it Gunny? I thought you took the day off." greeted the Admiral.

"Yes Sir, The Colonel has requested that I drive a Ms Sullivan back to South Carolina and to pick up her things. I'm to drive her car back to JAG. I need Jason to drive the other car back Sir." replied Gunny.

"Where's the Colonel?" asked the Admiral.

"Meeting some friends at Bethesda Sir. She didn't tell me why Sir. She just asked me to drive Ms Sullivan back to South Carolina Sir." replied Gunny offering as little information as possible.

"Very well Gunny, dismiss." the Admiral.

"Yes Sir."

"Lets go Jason, the clock is ticking." ordered Gunny.

They made the trip in a little more than five hours. You would have thought a former deputy sheriff would drive faster, but he didn't. He was in a government vehicle. He would drive the posted speed limit.

They talked a little on the trip. Amanda telling them that she was a nurse. Sarah had stayed in a cottage a few hundred feet from her cottage. They had become quite close during the short time they spent together.

She was surprised to see that Sarah was so sad when they met. She also appeared angry at times. Jason told her about the night that Harm went down. It was the night before she was suppose to get married, but she didn't after Commander Rabb's crash.

The Commander's crash had devastated her. She couldn't accept that the Commander was dead. She couldn't grieve for him. She kept telling people that the Commander was still alive. That he would come back to her.

When she asked Jason why she believed this Jason told her the abridged version of their remarkable story. They met in the White House Rose Garden. She told him that he looked into her searching for her soul.

Ever since they always knew where the other was. They had traveled the world together visiting many countries. Everyone thought that they were soul mates until the Commander went back to fly.

It seemed to everyone that the Colonel lost a part of herself that day that never came back. There were rumors that something happened when they went down under to Oz and she came back wearing another man's ring.

Amanda smiled for she knew the truth. Sarah had been right. Harm hadn't died that night. She really could feel his presence. They had found each other again yesterday. She had noticed the change in Sarah when she did.

It was like a fire that had burned out long ago had somehow relit itself and was glowing brightly again.

"I can't tell you anything Jason, but I can promise you that the next time you see her again, you will see the old Sarah MacKenzie again. Her heart is light and glowing. She is in love.

Jason was confused. There was only one man he knew that could affect the Colonel that way, Commander Rabb, but he was dead. Gunny really didn't understand either. He had seen the Colonel this morning.

While she didn't appear angry anymore, she was hardly happy and glowing. She did seem to be more square away like she use to be, but still in love? Nope, didn't see it.

When they got to the Admiral's cottage Amanda offered to pack Mac's personal belongings which Gunny didn't mind. He didn't really like handling women's under garments. Gunny put them in the Colonel's car. Jason moaned when Gunny told him that he was driving the Colonel's car home.

Amanda thanked them for bringing her home and being such gracious host. She appreciated the stories that they told her about Sarah and her Commander. She vowed that she would stay in touch with her new friend.

Later that day she went into work to talk with her friend Susan and Dr. Stewart. She had a great story to tell them. It was a miracle for the ages.

"How was your ride in the helicopter Amanda? Was it fun?" asked Susan.

"It was a great ride. Sarah was amazing as she got him to wake up on the trip. Their love for one another is totally awesome." smiled Amanda.

"She got him to wake up by just talking to him?" question Dr. Stewart in disbelief. There was no reason to believe just because one special person showed up would cause a comatose person to wake up.

"The doctor at Bethesda didn't believe it either until Sarah asked him to wake up and he did. He complained about the doctor probing and poking him. This morning he was causing holy havoc with the nursing staff.

He had wandered off looking for some scrubs to put on. He wants out of the hospital. He wants to go home." smiled Amanda.

"I don't understand Amanda. You've worked with enough comatose patients to know that usually doesn't happen." replied Dr. Stewart.

"They have this special connection Sir. He was reported dead two months ago. She believed to this day that he was still alive. She could sense his presence while she was staying at the beach in town. She said she could hear him calling to her everyday at sunset.

He said that he could sense that she was near, that he was calling out to her. Her presence allowed him to find his way back. They have a history of knowing where the other is whenever the other is around." explained Amanda.

"You should see the albums that they have. There are over a thousands pictures of them together. There is so much love between them there."

Tuesday

24 July 2001

Mac's Apartment

Mac took Harm back to her apartment several days later. Harm had wanted to go back to his apartment, but Mac convinced him her place was better. Frank and Trish could stay at his place.

Her leave time was running out. She didn't want to explain to the Admiral why she was staying at Harm's apartment and not her own. Besides, no one knew that Harm was alive. She wanted him to herself for a little while longer.

Harm spent the next two weeks rehabbing. It was slow at first, but by the end of the second week he was beginning to move around okay. Trish took advantaged of Harm's lack of mobility to spend more time with him than she had in the last three or four years.

They ate dinner together every night. They talked about the events of the last few months.

Friday

27 July 2001

Headquarters

Mac made a trip in to see the Admiral at the end of the week. He had questions about the reimbursements request from a hospital in South Carolina that she had submitted.

She told him that they had been providing medical service to a member of the Navy. She had had him transferred to Bethesda. She couldn't tell him his name due to privacy issues.

She also requested two weeks of additional leave. She needed to be there for Harm and help in his rehabilitation. The Admiral wasn't entirely happy, but if two more weeks meant that his best lawyer would be okay and ready to work again, then so be it.

"How are you doing Colonel?" asked the Admiral.

"Much better Sir. The nightmares are gone. I'm sleeping a little better." replied Mac.

"Can I expect to see you in the office next week Colonel?" asked the Admiral.

"Sir, I would like to request two additional weeks Sir. I'm sort of in the middle of something that I need to take care of." requested Mac.

"Very well Colonel." replied the Admiral.


	9. Chapter 9

Title: _**Warrior Lost**_

Author: _rooster dawn_

pairing: Harm and Mac

Disclaimer: JAG is property of Belisarius productions, no copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Harm goes down and is lost at sea on the way back for Mac's wedding. The wedding is called off, Mac makes life hell at work, and the Admiral sends her away to deal with her loss.

_Good feedback is good for the soul and my happiness._

part nine

Saturday

11 August 2001

Mac's Apartment

A couple of weeks later Amanda and Susan drove up to Washington to see Sarah and their mystery man. They wanted to see how they were doing together. They wanted to see them together. They wanted to hear more of their stories.

Mac was surprised to see them, but she welcomed them in. It would give Harm and his mother a chance to thank the people responsible for taking care of Harm. Amanda had become a good friend in the short time she knew her.

"Come in Amanda, Susan. It's nice to see you again." smiled Mac.

"Hi Sarah, we wanted to come by and say hello and see how Harm was doing." replied Amanda.

"He's doing great. He's planning on making a surprise appearance at JAG Monday. He's ready to let the world know that he's alive again." smiled Sarah.

She walked over to Harm to let him know that they had company. Amanda and Susan saw the flyboy smile and the Sarah's smile as well. They looked so good together. They were special.

"Harm, we have company. These are the two people who took care of you while you were in a coma, Amanda Sullivan and Susan Johnson." introduced Mac. They almost swoon when Harm smiled at them.

"It's nice to meet you both. I would like you to meet my Mom and Frank." replied Harm.

"I would like to give you both a little something." smiled Frank as he handed both of them a check for a hundred thousand dollars and a check to the hospital for one million dollars to be use for comatose research.

"We can't accept this Sir." argued Amanda.

"Nonsense, my dear. It's a small token of appreciation for taking care of our son. Without your due diligence we wouldn't have him back in our lives today. You let Sarah know that he was alive and now he's here with us. Thank you." said Frank.

They spent the afternoon looking through Mac's photo albums. She had an album for different activities. One was for work related activities such as investigations and courtroom photos. Another one was for their off duty activities such as working out, running, kick boxing, and playing softball.

There was an album of them with their friends. Another album of them together at formal social events. Susan was puzzled, she wondered after looking through all the albums and photos, how was it possible that Sarah was going to marry another man a few months ago.

Harm just shrugged his shoulders and told them that he was an idiot for not telling Mac how he really felt, that he love her. They all agreed with that statement. But then again how can anyone looking at these pictures not know that they were in love including Harm and Mac.

Monday

13 August 2001

Headquarters

The Admiral came out of his office. Where was Mackenzie? She was usually one of the first people in the office on Monday morning. He had some things he needed to go over with her before he went to see the SecNav.

He was also concerned about how she was doing. She had been an emotional wreck when he put her on leave six weeks ago. She seemed better when he saw her two weeks ago, but was she better? Had she accepted the Commander's death?

"Gunny! Have you seen the Colonel?" bellowed the Admiral.

"No Sir. She left word last week that she would be in late today. She had an appointment at Bethesda this morning and would be here as soon as possible Sir." replied Gunny.

"Damm! I need to talk to her before I leave. I want to make sure she's alright." moaned the Admiral.

"I'm sure she is Sir. She seemed to be her gung ho self two weeks ago Sir. In fact I think she was as happy as I have ever seen her." replied Gunny.

"That remains to be seen." mumbled the Admiral before stopping.

There seem to be a commotion coming towards the bullpen. He turned around to see Captain Ingles, Lieutenant Skates Hawkes, Commander Jack Keeter, and Admiral Tom Boone among a few others. What were they doing here?

He walked over to Tom and asked "Morning Tom, what are you doing here?"

"You don't know? I thought this was your party. I had a special invite that ordered me here or spend the next ten years at you know where." smiled Tom.

"I know nothing about it Tom. I'm scheduled for a meeting with SecNav in an hour." commented the Admiral.

"Sir, the Colonel asked me to get them all here. She said they were all special people to the Commander." replied Gunny.

"Gunny?" questioned the Admiral. He was in no mood for games.

"Just following orders Sir. When a Colonel in the US Marine Corps tells me to do something, I just do it Sir." replied Gunny.

There was another buzzed coming from the corridor. The woman of their discussion walked into the room with a tall Naval Officer with a slight limp to his gait. Their jaws almost dropped to the floor at the sight.

Gunny was right. The Colonel had a smile on her face that he hadn't seen in years. It was big and beautiful. The one usually reserved for one naval aviator who just happen to be walking beside her.

Rabb was beside her looking down upon her beautiful face with a smile of his own. It was equally impressive. How in the world was it possible? Rabb was dead! There was no way he could have survived for more than six or seven hours in the cold ocean waters.

They came to a stop in front of the Admiral.

"Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Rabb reporting for duty Sir!" greeted Mac as she and Harm gave him a salute.

"Once again I see you've done the impossible Colonel. I don't know how it's possible, but you've resurrected the legendary Commander Harmon Rabb." smiled Captain Ingles.

"It's my job Sir. I watch his six, he watches mine." replied Mac drawing a few silent chuckles from everyone.

"How in the world did you find him Colonel?" asked Tom.

"It's a gift Sir. Actually the Admiral is responsible." smiled Mac.

"He sent me to South Carolina. It seems that Harm washed up on the beach less than ten miles from where I was staying. I could sense his presence almost immediately Sir. Every night at sunset I could hear his voice on the gentle breeze calling to me.

Then one night a neighbor, Amanda, was visiting with me. We were going out to dinner. She was looking through an album I had laying open on the coffee table. She recognized him as a patient of hers. Amanda is a nurse at the local hospital.

She works with comatose patients. She showed one of them to me. It was Harm. I had him helio to Bethesda ..... " explained Mac.

"The reimbursement papers you submitted." interrupted the Admiral nodding his head in understanding.

"Yes Sir. He woke up on the ride to Bethesda for a minute. Later he woke up when the doctor thought Harm was brain dead." smiled Mac.

"I told you that years ago AJ." commented Tom.

"I can't argue with you about that Tom. What man in his right mind wouldn't have married his marine years ago." replied the Admiral.

"That's when I asked Harm to wake up and show the doctor that he was wrong. Harm woke up complaining about being poked and probed." smiled Mac ignoring the Admiral's comment.

"You know that you have been AWOL for ten weeks Commander." challenged the Admiral.

"No Sir, I was taking cover until the marines came and extracted me Sir." replied Harm.

"Well I would like nothing better than to stay here and chic chat with you Commander, but I have an appointment with SecNav to attend. I need to talk with you later Colonel." dismissed the Admiral as he left the building.

The rest of the staff spent the next hour over a catered breakfast talking and welcoming Harm back to the world of the living. They apologized to Mac about doubting her that Harm wasn't dead.

"You're late AJ." Nelson greeted the Admiral.

"I had a surprise guest today at JAG today." replied the Admiral.

"Really, anyone I know?" asked Nelson.

"Yes Sir, Commander Rabb walked in with Colonel MacKenzie this morning." replied the Admiral.

The SecNav looked at him in a state of total disbelief. Rabb was supposed to be dead. No one could have survived being lost at sea.

"He washed up on shore two days later. He was taken to a local hospital. He was in a coma until two weeks ago when MacKenzie found him. She brought him back to Bethesda and somehow got him to wake up."

"Well I suppose if it was at all possible to find Rabb, MacKenzie would have been the one to do so. How is he?" conceded Nelson.

"He appears to be fine Sir. He's looking to get back to duty. There's a lot of paperwork that needs to be done for that to happen." replied the Admiral.

"Maybe not AJ. I haven't had a chance to read it, but I just received paperwork to return to duty on my desk this morning. It's quite thick. If I had to guess the Colonel has already gotten the paperwork done and now only requires some signatures." replied Nelson.

The End


End file.
